Cornellians in Private Equity

Derek Smith

Background

Mr. Derek Smith is a Managing Director at Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. He joined the firm in 2010 and is based at the firm's office in Los Angeles. He is a part of Real Estate Opportunities team. Prior to joining Oaktree, Mr. Smith spent 19 years at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, most recently as the Vice Chair of the Global Real Estate Department. In this role, Mr. Smith concentrated his practice in the area of real estate transactions, focusing on acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures, finance, real estate development, sale/leasebacks, foreclosures, workouts and restructurings. Mr. Smith also served as the Chair of the Technology Committee of Paul Hastings, where he led the firm’s use and investment in information systems and technology. He is a member of the State Bar of California.

Education

Mr. Smith holds a Computer Science degree from Brigham Young University and a J.D. from Cornell Law School.